Battery Electric Vehicles: The Future is Tesla

Battery electric vehicles, also known as BEVs, run on a chemical energy that’s stored in a battery pack. These battery packs are rechargeable. In BEVs, there is no use for an internal combustion engine (ICE), a fuel cell, or even a fuel tank, because they use electric motors and motor controllers for propulsion. BEVs aren’t just in the form of cars; they’re also trucks, buses, construction vehicles, watercrafts, bicycles, motorcycles, and many other forms as well.

For the past few years, Nissan’s Leaf model has been the world’s top selling highway-capable BEV with a 100-mile range from one single charge. Nevertheless, Bloomberg is reporting that the Leaf is set to be overthrown by a different automaker. Tesla Inc is the brand to watch for this upcoming year. The co-founder and CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, has been known for creating vehicles that go from zero to sixty in less than three seconds, giving you an adrenaline rush similar to riding the world’s fastest roller coaster. However, in the past year, Tesla has been focusing their efforts on creating a BEV that’s more suited for the everyday commuter.

The Model 3, which appeared on the market in late summer, is the BEV we’ve all be waiting for. While the vehicle won’t go from zero to sixty in under three seconds, it will do it in under six. The vehicle looks sharp, seats comfortably, and has a 220-mile range from a single charge on its standard battery. Starting at an MSRP of $35,000, the Model 3 is much more affordable than the previous models which start at just under $100,000.

Tesla is the only automaker to have broken the 300-mile range, and they’ve now done it with two of their models: Model S and the long-range battery for Model 3. Along with this amazing feat, Tesla is also known for their vehicle safety, which isn’t always common with BEVs or Hybrids. Tesla tweeted a video in late July showing the comparison of an impact test between the Model 3 and Volvo’s S60, what is thought to be one of the safest cars on the road today. The Model 3 withstood the side-pole impact much better than the S60.

The future is battery electric vehicles, and Tesla is paving the way. It will be interesting to see what the Elon Musk will come up with next.